


The Culling

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Badass Poe Dameron, Brutality, Canon Compliant, Case Fic, Character Development, Force Healing, Foreshadowing, Hurt Poe Dameron, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Injury Recovery, Jedi Ben Solo, Killing, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Slash, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Ben Solo, Protective Luke, Protective Poe Dameron, Soft Ben Solo, Ushar Backstory, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: The hunt for Ushar.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Trope Bingo: Round Fourteen





	The Culling

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Case Fic
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ben was twenty-one when Ushar, one of Ren’s soldiers, reemerged. They were only rumors, but Ben knew that they had to investigate nonetheless. What did Jedi do, if not keep the peace?   
  
Poe and BB-8 were coming with them too. Tekka was busy, and Ben couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. After all, Tekka was nice enough, even though Ben didn’t know him well.   
  
Still, he liked Poe. Liked him a lot. That feeling where his heart raced and his vision was all but colored by Poe’s wonderful qualities...it was getting harder to ignore. He knew that.   
  
***  
  
“You even kind of look like him.”  
  
Ben furrowed his brow even as Poe spoke to him on the _Grimtaash._ “Do I?” He already knew what Poe meant: Anakin Skywalker. Mom didn’t like to talk very much about Anakin Skywalker, but Ben couldn’t help but admire him. He’d wanted to help people, wanted to protect people, and that was what Ben wanted to do too. He smiled. “I guess I do. Especially the black...” Ben laughed, ran a hand through his hair. “I know that Uncle Luke would probably think I was copying him.”  
  
(Uncle Luke, fortunately, was working on upgrading Artoo, and wasn’t around to really reprimand Ben)  
  
Poe smiled. “Like uncle, like nephew, I guess?” Then, more seriously, “I think you’re more like him than you think. Especially in the helping people department.” A grin. “We all remember the incident with those blue butterflies...”  
  
Ben laughed. “What was I supposed to do? Just leave them?”  
  
“No. Honestly, you really are...” A pause. “You really are a good man, Ben.” Ben wished that Poe would say what he meant to say, worries be damned.   
  
“I hope so.” Ben couldn’t say that he always felt like a good man, especially when it came to just being a good Jedi. Following the rules. Doing what he had to do. He wanted to be a good person, so badly, but how could you be a good person when you could hear everything and feel everything and there was that voice in your mind that was gnawing at you? Sometimes he wished he could just retreat. Sometimes he wished that there was some place he could go. Maybe with Poe. Definitely with Poe, actually.  
  
"You are.” Poe reached out, and Ben felt his heart race just at the brushing of fingers over his own. “You don’t even have to be perfect. I’m not perfect. Even if I wish I was.”  
  
Ben smiled at him. “You’re perfect in my eyes,” he said.   
  
Poe chuckled. “You’re too nice, Ben.”  
  
They both laughed. Ben couldn’t quite shake that feeling of dread that he had, though, that feeling that he was running to Poe before Poe faded from him.   
  
It was just an irrational worry, Ben thought. It was just an irrational, stupid worry, brought on by the fact that he hadn’t slept well. Or something like that.   
  
It wasn’t like it meant anything. Ben still couldn’t shake that terror, stronger than just I-have-a-bad-feeling-about-this. He couldn’t help but worry, about the future.   
  
***  
  
The Smuggler’s Moon. Even as they disembarked from the _Grimtaash,_ Luke led the way. “Just watch your step,” he said, “Or you’ll fall for hours.”  
  
Ben turned to Poe. “You really could have a dogfight in those spaces,” he said, even as he looked down at the pits of Nar Shaddaa.   
  
Poe snickered. “I’d pay good credits to see that.”  
  
“ _Anyway,”_ Luke said, sounding amused, “We best get going. I doubt that our friend Ushar is going to just waltz right up to our ship gift-wrapped.”  
  
“Point taken,” Ben said.   
  
Even as they walked along the streets, Ben couldn’t help but feel a sort of comfort in terms of walking with Poe by his side, Luke not far behind them. That was what it was supposed to be, Ben thought. Easy. Assuming that it ever could be easy, really.   
  
None of those fears that somehow, Poe was going to fade from him.   
  
***  
  
They found Ushar. Ben supposed that following the trail of bodies was pretty appropriate in that case. There were bodies, just about everywhere in the apartment complex where Luke had felt the chill. They looked badly mutilated too, Ben couldn’t help but notice, like _something_ had made sure that they suffered horribly.   
  
Ushar was there. The Reaper, the people on Nar Shaddaa called him. The Judge. Ben doubted that any of the people who had been murdered like that really deserved any of what had happened.   
  
“You are Master Skywalker," Ushar said to Luke. His voice sounded tinny, almost monotone. Too cold. “You are a worthy opponent.”  
  
Luke wrinkled his nose. “I’m afraid I don’t need compliments from the likes of a monster.”  
  
“I follow the _ren,”_ Ushar said. “The _ren_ allows the weak to be culled to nourish the strong.”  
  
“Hell of a cynical way to think,” Poe said.   
  
“I know of Master Skywalker’s prowess in combat. I wonder if your nephew will be as strong as you are. If he will beg for mercy or fight back.” A beat. “The purpose of the weak is to feed the strong. This is all these people are good for. Will you cower in fear, young Solo?”  
  
“If you even touch my nephew,” Luke began, “You will regret it.”  
  
“Yeah.”   
  
Ushar knocked Poe aside with a flick of his wrist. Whether it was out of respect or finding him unimportant, Ben didn’t know. It didn’t matter even as he ran to Poe, his heart racing.   
  
“Sentiment,” Ushar murmured. “It’s like a cancer in your bones.”  
  
“I’ll show you sentiment,” Ben said. “You’re not going to hurt him. Not on my watch.”  
  
He knew it too. Because he loved Poe. Because he loved this beautiful, talented, caring, brave man enough to be willing to move the stars for him.   
  
“Noble,” Ushar murmured, even as he drew his vibromachete. It clashed against Ben’s blue lightsaber; Ben knew that he couldn’t cut through the weapon even if he wanted to. Vibroweapons were tough — even if they weren’t as precise as a lightsaber. “I’ve studied much in the ways of worthy opponents. Sentiment is a powerful if stupid emotion. I’m interested in what drives you, Solo. Perfection? Your movements are desperate, an animal scrabbling to protect its mate.”  
  
Ben could already feel his cheeks burning with humiliation. Ushar was apparently half-Echani, half-Mandalorian from what Ben had read on him, blending his views together to form a twisted, cruel philosophy that simply didn’t mesh.   
  
“Not the spirit of a true Jedi,” Ushar said. “I can see your heart, young Solo. Through your movements, through your expressions.”  
  
 _A memory crossed Ben’s mind in that moment, a memory that was not his own. A scavenger boy on Jakku, wearing rags, scaling great heights of a downed Star Destroyer just to find the parts. Knowing that it wouldn’t be enough to pay off the junk traders to get his portions, but holding onto some sort of hope..._  
  
Ushar hissed, sounding almost angry. “You...you seek to read _me?_ You think you are so arrogant to best me at my own game?”  
  
"I...” Ben blinked; he couldn’t control when others’ thoughts leaked into his head any more than he could control his breathing. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. He didn’t know why he was apologizing, let alone to someone trying to kill him.   
  
“You will pay dearly,” Ushar said.   
  
Ben was strong, but Ushar seemed all but overwhelmed by hatred. Pressing downwards, downwards with his vibromachete, until Ben was certain that Ushar was going to sever his arm. He couldn’t help but think _Maybe it runs in the family,_ and Force, that was saying volumes when his mind was already cracking jokes about the possibility of amputation.   
  
At least before a blaster shot rang out.   
  
Ushar hissed in pain. Ben looked over to see Poe, a bit battered, but very much alive. Ushar fled, seeming to limp into the shadows after he tried to kill Poe quickly, and Poe shot him again.   
  
Apparently it would take something stronger than blaster bolts to kill this guy.   
  
Ben ran towards Poe, where Luke had apparently been protecting him while Ben had been dueling Ushar. Well, Ben ran as quick as he could; his arm was still there, but cut. Poe wavered on his feet. “Was aimin’ for his head,” Poe muttered, and Ben knew that Poe was not in a good place. That was likely an understatement.   
  
“Poe,” he said, “Are you okay?”  
  
“Bumped his head,” Luke said. “If he’d hit that wall any harder, he’d really have been in trouble.”  
  
 _Kriff._ “Poe,” Ben said, “Is it okay if I...heal you?”  
  
Luke stared at him in alarm. “It’s dangerous if you don’t do it right, Ben,” Luke said.   
  
“I’m capable!” Ben said indignantly. Stars, why did his uncle have to think he was incapable?   
  
“Just be...careful.” Poe chuckled as he said, “You know, this is the part in animated holos where the birds start circling my head.”  
  
“Poe, as much as I usually appreciate your jokes,” Ben said, “This isn’t the time."  
  
He reached out, locating the source of the injury, the battered flesh...no brain damage, but the Force was likely on Poe’s side. He let the energy, part of his lifeforce, flow into Poe, knitting bleeding flesh, healing the injury.   
  
“Ben,” Luke said, “You’ve gone far enough.”  
  
Ben stopped. He felt tired now, maybe a bit out of sorts, but it was worth it at least to know that Poe was all right.   
  
“Stang, Ben,” Luke said, “Your saving-people-thing is going to be the death of you, I guarantee it.”  
  
“It’s what Jedi do, don’t they?” Ben said.   
  
Luke nodded. “I just want to make sure you’re safe as well.”  
  
His uncle was afraid. Somehow, it wasn’t just what Ben had done for Poe. It was something else — though Ben didn’t want to pry.   
  
Poe smiled. “Honestly, Ben,” he said, sounding clearer, “Thank you. I mean...you did good. You really did.”  
  
Ben smiled back. Even as he stung from his uncle’s rebuke (even the fact that it came from a place of concern wasn’t much comfort), he couldn’t help but not want Poe to stop looking at him like that. Not even a bit. “No problem. Can you walk?”  
  
“Well, I’m not having that circling-birdies feeling anymore...”  
  
Ben laughed. Now that he was assured that Poe was all right, he could laugh again. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.”


End file.
